Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-22
MARDI GRAS.
The KEYS IL The Crescent City Given
Over 10 Rex WEa is Master
Of tina City.
Grand Bicycle Torchlight Parade-Balls,
Professions and aevelry Rule
the Hour.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Feb. 2l.-The
weather was cloudy to-day, and it
rained heavily all night, but this did not
interfere with the carnival celebration of
the entrance of Rex.
The last week of the carnival here
| opened most auspiciously to-day. AS the
day draws near that ''bids farewell TO al
flesh" the fun grows faster and more
furious. 1t is constant round Of
pleasures, parades and professions all
day, balls ard masquerades at night.
! But it is to-day and tomorrow that the
carnival winds up in g perfect blaze of
glory, after which one sadly needs the
reCuperation of Ash Wednesday and
Lent. For week or more all the coun-
try has been crowding in here, as all
Europe hastens at this season to Naples,
Rome and Venice, the only other towns
LWhere the carnival is celebrated in its
ttrue spirit. Every state in the Union
4sends large delegation. Every town
! with any pretensi0n has some of its
people here. Texas is well represented
this year; so is California. Yesterday
there reached here single eXcur-
sion party from the northwest of
over 1000 members, mainly farmers
and horticulturslists from Wis
consin, Iowa and MINES ia.
They will run over to Lake Charles the
day after the carnival, and may continue
their trip to Texas. They came here for
the double purpose of pleasure and bust
ness. to see apd enjoy the carnival, and
to investigate the country with the inten-
ton of settling in the south. There are
several other large parties from the west
here, great majority of them with the
same porpose of inspecting the country.
The New EnglandeTs and Californians, on
the other hand, are here solely as eXcur-
sionists, who have run over from Los
Angeles and jacksonville for week to en-
Joy the sights of New Orleans.
The hotels are all packed, within the
week two new ones having been opened
for the rush, and ii is now estimated that
the population Of New Orleans is swollen
at least 100000 by the foo d
Of visitors. Withal, the crushis not neal
as great as in former years. New Orleans
has learned better how to take care OF
visitors to day. Every family has asparG
while thousands find accommodations Oh
the steamboats, and sleeping cars. EX-
cuTsion parties coming down here 20 not
even Iesve their birtEs. The cars are
side tracked and thus become regula.
lodging houses, while the steamers st thC
wharf are floating hotels where one cai
> secure comfortable and cool quarters, tal
!, from the noise and hustle of the city. II
2 80
!. dated than formerly, and New Orleans i.
able to entertain end receive COO pee
: pie far better to-day than 10000 few
years ago.
New Orleans awoke this morning, it!
population swollen to 100000, at less
. half of them bent on adventures
: pleasure and enjoyment. The great bull
of the crowd was on Canal and St
Charles streets. Al immense throps
crowded the corner OF the latter stree
and St. Joseph, where the Illinois Centra
Railroad was TO bring his majesty, the
King CT the Carnival, into the city,. A!
the train steamed in, the engine and trail
decorated with flags and bunting of tht
ROYAL colors, purple, gold and green
shouts ana huZZas greeted it that coult
not have been more cordial or enthusias,
tic if it had been the President himself in
stead of make-helieve monarch, while
in the neighboring square, the artillery
thunderec out royal salute.
1t is g standing tradition that RsX shall
never appear any two years in the SAINT
character, and he has entered New Or
leans at different times as Charlemagne
Solomon, Aurelian and Shahriah anC
other noted historical personsges. This
year as he stepped from the trair
it was seen that he appeared II the char
acter OF SAladIn, the Magnificent, The
graz Cali0h and the opponent of Richard
CUur de Lion. His dress was q tuniC 0.
re- silk, over when was 8 cOTslet o1
link srmor ol gold. In his tGrban O
green fla. he'd s. large diamond sscent
sad hv his side he wore & cimete1
covered win these arabesque figure that
prov ed il 10 be IF the pureet DamaScent
work. An Arab etesd, richly cHpsr
isoned, awaited his majesty which TX
mounted, aud amid the eRuuts Of the mril
tilude and the waving of handkt rchief!
from the thousands Of ladies' in the bal
comics opposite, the royal procession De.
eau is Iriumphal march through NeF
Orleans.
TIE pageantry of the parade was pic
turesque and opulent in color, and set of
by the uniforms of the numerous local
aud visiting companies that acted as es.
c0rt, trumpeters i'll coats of mail of goli
and mounted on white chargers, aa-
nounced the coming of the King. With
them were standard bearers carry
imp the banners of the various land:
and people over whom Saladir
ruled. Then followed the escort, the Con-
tiuentsl Guards, Louisiana R ties, Wash
ington Artillery and other military or
CARNATIONS. Behind them rode the King
surrounded by a band of over hundred
of the principal generals and warriors, al
mounted and equipped for battle. They
presented specimens of every orienta
race, each attired in its peculiar costume
and armor Arabs from the desert IN light
flowing garments, armed with cimeJerS
and lances; black Nubiaus, with waddeC
armor of cotton that puffed them out
enormously; Egyptians in bronze breast
plates and greaves handed down from
the Pharoahs; Syrians in rich silks with
rows of pearls around their necks; hal
clad Tartars from Turkestan, Persians II
fey cans and many other EASTERN races